This invention relates to a method and system for managing maintenance operations on a product. More particularly, this invention relates to a computerized method and system for managing the maintenance, repair or overhaul of a gas turbine engine.
The following terms will be used throughout the specification:
“Bill of Material (“BOM”) refers to a list of components that define a product, such as a gas turbine engine.
Master Parts List (“MPL”) or Grand BOM refers to a list of all potential parts that could be used in the engine.
“As-Built BOM refers to a list of parts used by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) or a maintenance facility to assemble the engine.
“As-Shipped BOM” refers to a list of parts in the engine when the OEM or the maintenance facility releases the engine to the customer. Since the engine may undergo testing after assembly or repair, the As-Shipped BOM may not be the same as the As-Built BOM. If testing proves successful, the OEM or the maintenance facility releases the engine and the As-Shipped BOM will mirror the As-Built BOM. If testing proves unsuccessful, the OEM or the maintenance facility may replace parts on the engine and perform additional testing. Should the OEM or the maintenance facility replace parts, the As-Shipped BOM may not be the same as the As-Built BOM.
Expected BOM refers to a list of parts that a maintenance facility should find during disassembly of an engine during a maintenance operation.
“As-Received Configuration refers to a list of parts actually removed from the engine by the maintenance facility during disassembly. If the maintenance facility performed the previous maintenance operation, then the As-Received Configuration and Expected BOM will be the same.
Planned Configuration refers to a preliminary list of parts selected by the maintenance facility for reassembly into the engine. The maintenance facility determines the Planned Configuration by using the Expected BOM and the work scope to be performed on the engine.
Should Build Configuration refers to a list of parts selected by the maintenance facility for reassembly into the product. Typically, the maintenance facility determines the Should Build Configuration after completing disassembly of the engine.
Engine Manual (“EM”) refers to a publication that contains OEM and aviation authority (e.g. Federal Aviation Administration, Joint Aviation Authority, etc.) approved engine maintenance procedures.
Illustrated Parts Catalog (“IPC”) refers to a publication that provides part numbers and illustrations for parts used to manufacture an engine and for replacement parts.
Service Bulletin (“SB”) refers to a publication containing OEM and aviation authority approved technical data for incorporating an engineering change into an existing engine. The Service Bulletin includes work instructions necessary to incorporate the engineering change into the engine.
“Add Parts List refers to the parts that the Service Bulletin can add to the engine.
Cancel Parts List refers to the parts that the Service Bulletin can remove from the engine.
“Sets Requirement” refers to a stipulation in a Service Bulletin that all of the parts on the Add Parts List must be added to the engine and that all of the parts on the Cancel Parts List must be removed from the engine. In other words, a Sets Requirement prohibits partial incorporation of a Service Bulletin. A Service Bulletin can have other types of sets requirements. For example, a Sets/Stage Requirement may arise when an SB deals with multiple locations within the engine (e.g. fifth and sixth stage compressor blade locations). The Sets/Stage Requirement allows partial incorporation of the SB by replacing all of the subject parts at one location within the engine (e.g. replace all of the compressor blades from the fifth stage, without replacing the sixth stage). The maintenance facility would fully incorporate the SB during a subsequent maintenance visit by replacing the sixth stage blades. An Optional Set Dependency indicates related parts within the Add Parts List. An assembly (such as a ring segment), which is formed by various subcomponents (such as vane assemblies and pins), typifies related parts within an SB. When an Optional Set Dependency exists, the program will display the options available for all of the related parts as a group.
A maintenance facility can perform a variety of maintenance operations on an engine. In increasing order of complexity, these maintenance operations include maintenance, repair and overhaul. During any maintenance operation, the maintenance facility must keep records in order to comply with the requirements of the relevant aviation authorities. Conventionally, the maintenance facility performed such record keeping manually.
While a maintenance facility may have conventionally relied on computers for assistance, each area of the maintenance facility (e.g. inspection, assembly, etc.) typically used a dedicated system customized to the unique needs of that area. In other words, these systems were not designed to coordinate with the computer systems in other areas of the maintenance facility. This prevented different areas within the same maintenance facility from sharing data. Likewise, the computer systems at the maintenance facility and at outside vendors were not connected so the entities could not share data.
The parts involved in such a maintenance operation may travel through multiple areas within the maintenance facility and through outside vendors. Each internal area or outside vendor performs a necessary function with respect to the part during the maintenance operation. Conventional techniques do not readily track the existence of a part within the maintenance facility nor the flow of such part through the maintenance facility or through outside vendors. In other words, one area of the maintenance facility may lack visibility of part and part flow through other areas of the maintenance facility or through an outside vendor.
The present invention manages these maintenance operations without the aforementioned drawbacks of conventional techniques.